Can-filling press



Feb. 18, 1930. BLATTNER, JR 1,747,813

CAN FILLING PRESS Filed June 16. 1923 i s N 72m. Wm

Patented Feb. 18, 1930 ics' FREDERICK BLATTNER, J'B., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CAN -F ILLII T G PRESS Application filed June 16, 1923. Serial No. 645,884.

Certain fluid or semi-fluid materials such as mixed paints are supplied to the cans from a tank or receptacle and pressure is required to expel the material from such tank. In the case of paint, for example, considerable force is required to cause it to flow from the discharge nozzle or outlet of the storage tank into the small cans in which the paint is placed upon the market. Presses known to me which have been employed for this purpose, especially in the case of paint presses are unsatisfactory for various reasons such for example as the necessity to use skilled labor in operating them, the necessity of the exertion of considerable manual strength at times in their operation, liability to breakage of parts and lack of change of discharge of paint to cans of different ca pacity without loss of time. The object of my invention is to provide a press which will be free from the objections noted and which will have other advantages some of which are set forth hereinafter and some of which without mention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claim.

In the annexed drawings 2 I Fig. 1 is an elevation of a filling press embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the apparatus shown in the drawings has been designed for handling prepared or mixed paints I shall as a matter of convenience refer to paint but it is to be understood that I do not restrict my invention to the particular material handled. to Briefly described apparatus embodying my invention comprises a vertical cylinder containing a vertically movable piston which outside of the cylinder has a plunger which moves in the paint tank supported below, a valve mechanism for controlling the supply of air or other fluid pressure to the cylinder to cause either the descent of the piston and plunger or the ascent thereof. A number of units such as I have just described may be mounted upon the same table or support thus economizing floor space and in the drawings I illustrate a number of units mounted upon the same table or support. Proceeding now with a description in detail of what is shown in the drawings, and promising that the description of one unit applies to all, it will beseen that the vertical cylinder, 10, preferably made of heavy brass tubing to be rust proof, has its upper and lower ends closed by rectangular heads, the upper head, 11, having in its underside an annular move or recess, 12, into which the upper end of the cylinder enters and engages a packing, 13, oflead or other suitable material to make an air tight joint and the bottom head, 14, has an annular groove, 15, into which the lower end of the cylinder enters and engages a packing ring, 16, the two heads being clamped to the cylinder ends as hereinafter explained, this construction being'superior to a screw connection between cyl nder and heads because of facihty of assembly and the production of fluid tight joints between cylinder and head.

The bottom head, 14, rests upon the top of a beam composed of two channels, 17, whose flanges are turned toward one another and which are secured together by horizontal bolts, 18, which pass through spacer tubes, 19, and at the ends are bolted two diverg ing legs, 20. Through, the cylinder heads pass vertical bolts or rods, 21, with heads or nuts above the upper cylinder head and which pass through the space between the channels,

17, and through a cross strap,'21 at the bottom of the channels and have nuts, 22, whlch engage the underside of such straps and thus the cylinder and its heads are secured together and the complete cylinder is rigidly attached to the supporting beam by the same set of rods or bolts, and as the space between the channels accommodates the rods or bolts it is unnecessary to bore holes through the channel flanges for the rods or bolts and thus economy of construction is secured. Within the cylinder, 10, is a leather cupped piston, M3, secured to a rod, 24, which extends through a packed opening or gland, 25, on the bottom head and at lts lower end has attached a disk form plunger, 26, which slidably fits the interior of the paint storage tank, 27, which rests upon a table, 28, in the form of a board that is supported at its ends upon cross bars, 29, on the supporting legs ofthe apparatus. To support the table at midlength against the downward pressure upon it a post or upright, 30, extends from the under side of the table to the floor at mid length of the table. The tank, 27, has a valve controlled outlet or nozzle, 31, beneath which the can to be filled is placed or held.

Through each head of the cylinder is bored or formed a small bore channel or passage, 32, the inner end of which opens into the cylinder and to the outer end of which is connected a pipe, 33, which at about mid-length has a three-way valve, 34, with which is connected a pipe, 35, that runs to a compressed air tank so that by manipulating said valve air, at will, may be let into the cylinder at either end to move the piston either up or down. The valve is automatically move-d to or held in a neutral position so as to make 5 it impossible by neglect or inattention of the operator to admit air into the cylinder to the possible damage of the apparatus. The valve has an operating lever, 36, that consists of diametrically extending arms from the extremity of each of which dangles a chain or cord, 37 so that the operator by pulling on one cord or the other may let air into either end of the cylinder. At the middle of the lever, 36, above the axis thereof is connected the lower end of a coil spring, 38, whose upper end is-attached to a clip, 39, vsecured to the pipe, 33, the pull of the spring acting to move the valve lever to and hold it with the valve in a neutral or mid-position. When the valve is in a neutral position the piston and plunger will remain in whatever position they may be when the air supply is cut oif and not descend by the friction of the packing of the box, 25, on the piston rod. 1

It will be understood that in the operation of my apparatus for filling cans the three-way valve will be opened to allow a charge of air to'enter the upper part of-the cylinder and its entrance will not be sudden or violent because of the small bore of the passage in the cylinder head and the valve in the nozzle, 31,

of the storage tank will be opened to allow the flow into the can of paint at the desired rate and which rate can be faster or slower according to the size of the can to be filled for the rate of descent of the piston in the cylinder is not fixed as in the old time power press for it can be adjusted by opening the three-way valve and, of course, a constant pressure will be exerted upon paint, expelling plunger. Should the operator for any reason leave the apparatus the three-way valve cannot be left in an open position but will automatically shut off the supply of air and thus danger of dama e by continued operation of the apparatus when it should be stopped will be prevented.

By reason of the required close fit of the plunger, 26, in the storage tank, 27, considerable power is required to withdraw the plunger from such tank when the plunger has expelled the contents of the tank and reached the bottom thereof. With my apparatus no manual effort is required to withdraw the plunger but that is accomplished by letting air into the cylinder below the piston which results first in lifting the tank with the plunger until the top of the tank strikes the under-side of the cylinder support where-upon continued upward movement of the piston and plunger results in the raising of the plunger to the top of the tank and the tank then readily drops or comes off the plunger.

No special skill is required to operate a, press embodying my invention and so little physical strength and skill is required that it may be operated by girls.

What I claim is: Paint expressing apparatus comprising a frame consisting of leg members, a beam FREDERICK BLATTNER, J R. 

